5 Strategies For Preventing Deer Damage In The Garden

Deer populations are growing across the country, and as neighborhoods expand into their habitat, backyard garden visits are becoming more common in almost every region. The good news: a few smart strategies can significantly reduce the damage deer do to your landscape, and choosing the right plants from the start makes the whole thing a lot easier.

The most effective approach is a combination of deterrents because no single method works forever. Deer are incredibly adaptable and learn quickly, however, layering a few strategies together keeps them guessing and your garden intact.

How To Identify Deer Damage

Before you can solve a deer problem, you need to confirm deer are actually the culprit. Look for these signs:

• Foliage and twigs eaten by deer have ragged, torn edges. Deer lack upper incisors and eat by tearing plant matter. Rabbits and rodents have upper and lower incisors and leave clean cuts — that's the easiest way to tell them apart.
• Deer can reach up to 6 feet, so damage high on a shrub or young tree is a strong indicator.
• Most deer damage occurs from late fall through early spring, when natural food sources are scarce. A mature buck consumes 4 to 10 pounds of food each day.
• Deer are creatures of habit; once they establish pathways or a feeding area, it becomes more difficult to deter them. Early intervention is important.

5 Strategies For Preventing Deer Damage

Deer are adaptable and learn quickly. Using a combination of control strategies is the most effective way to limit damage. Here's what works:

1. Install Fences

One sure-fire way to prevent deer damage is a tall fence. This method is especially helpful in discouraging deer from entering backyards where pets or people are often active, gardens adjacent to your home, around vegetable gardens, or even around smaller gardens when you may plant some of your prized ornamental plants. When it comes to fencing in large open spaces, deer have been known to leap over 7' high fences, so an 8' to 10' fence may be needed. Though for many homeowners, fencing more than a small area isn't practical, both aesthetically and financially. 

2. Apply Repellents

We work with gardeners across the country, and we've found that gardeners have the most success using deer use repellents. There are several commercially available products reputed to repel deer, such as "Deer Off", which are widely available at garden centers and hardware stores. Some have an odor that is unpleasant to deer; some have an unpleasant taste. Apply them early in the season, when food sources for deer are more scarce, and before deer have gotten in the habit of eating in your landscape. Be sure to reapply as needed, especially after it rains. Of course, many of the repellents used to deter deer are unpleasant to humans, too, so be considerate of where you use them, especially neat food crops. 

In early spring, young plants are at their greatest risk of being eaten by deer -- even those that are highly deer resistant. Young plants need time to produce their natural defenses, such as oils in their leaves and stalks, to defend against deer. Deer may be very hungry after a long winter, and desperate enough to make an exception to their normal diet. There are easy workarounds to keep your plants safe:

• Protect young newly planted transplants with barriers or cages while they become established and acclimated so they can build up their natural defenses
• Some gardeners also find success with draping a lightweight sheet over your outdoor garden beds at night.

3. Use Scare Devices

Deer are easily startled, so using a motion detector to trigger a distraction, such as a sprinkler, trigger floodlights, or turn on a radio, will work for a short time. However, deer will quickly become accustomed to them, sometimes within as little as a week. Varying the scare devices or moving their location every week can extend their effectiveness. However, remember to be mindful of how the scare devices might affect your neighbors!

4. Provide Ample Food Alternatives

Many gardeners have found that simply offering easy access to alternative foods reduces damage to ornamental plants. For example, placing feeding stations, or planting groundcovers such as clover, at the far corners of your landscape can draw wildlife away from the most decorative areas of your garden.

Another option is to plant a buffer or a "living fence" that discourages deer from getting too close to the garden you want to protect. For example, rather than leaving a large lawn area mowed very short, which gives deer easy access to your garden, you may want to plant a large border of wildflowers around your property. Not only does this look beautiful, but it would also give deer an area to graze that's distanced from your more precious plants.

5. Select Deer-Resistant Plants

By choosing plants that are unpalatable to deer, you can reduce the amount of damage in your landscape. In general, plants that taste bitter or spicy, those with bitter milky sap, thorny plants, and those with hairy or fuzzy leaves are less attractive to deer.

Explore some of our favorite deer-resistant choices, including wildflowers, plants, and flower bulbs for a beautiful, deer-resistant garden. Keep in mind that no plant is 100% deer-proof, a hungry deer will eat anything even if it's poisonous, and young plants are particularly vulnerable to foraging critters. But there are many plants that are less likely to be grazed upon, and we recommend these plants which are generally avoided by deer.

Deer Resistant Perennial Plants

For Best Results, Combine Strategies

There's no silver bullet when it comes to deterring deer. Combining several different management strategies is the most reliable way to protect your garden. Rotating between methods also helps prevent deer from growing accustomed to any one deterrent.

Start with plant selection — building a garden that deer naturally avoid is the most sustainable long-term approach. Layer in repellents, physical barriers where practical, and food alternatives to redirect deer away from your most prized areas. And if you're starting fresh, our Deer Resistant Pre-Planned Garden takes the guesswork out entirely.

Learn more: 8 Ways To Critter-Proof Your Fall Bulb Plantings

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